Correlation between body mass index and cell phone dependence among children

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cell phone dependence in children. The study was conducted with 876 children from 30 classrooms in schools in Dalian, China, who completed standing height and weight measurements and a self-assessed questionnaire on adolescent cell phone use dependence. The correlation analysis showed a weak positive correlation between BMI and cell phone dependence that differed according to gender and type of family structure, such that boys had significantly higher BMI and cell phone dependence than did girls, and students from intergenerational families had significantly higher BMI and cell phone craving than did those from parental families. The results of this study need to be further tested in subsequent research.